Mysterious crop circle in Indonesia baffles onlookers

Thousands of curious onlookers are flocking to get a closer look at a crop circle in a rice field in Indonesia after rumors spread that it was formed by a UFO, according to media reports.

The 70-meter wide circle have attracted so much attention that police had to block the area with yellow tape, reported the Associated Press.

Guntur Purwanto, chief of Jogotirto village in Sleman district, said the circle appeared in the middle of the green rice paddies over the weekend.

Crop circles or crop formations are sizeable patterns created by the flattening of a crop like wheat, barley, rye or maize.

Although these formations are mainly constructed by a person or a group, there have been many speculations in the past relating them to bizarre meteorological phenomena and messages from extraterrestrials.

However, skeptics refused to believe such explanations and regarded such formations as artistic creations by hoaxers

Offering opinion on the current crop circle formation were officials from Indonesia's space agency, well-respected astronomers and nuclear agency officials. Villagers residing in the area have also started to charge entrance fees from people trying to get a glimpse of the formation.